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Date
November 17, 1895
Abstract
VC 1897
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Transcript file(s)
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Identifier
vassar:24541,,Box 21,VCL_Letters_Mansfield_Adelaide_1897_058
Extent
1 item
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: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058001
Vassar College. Nor. 17. 1895.
My dear Mother, —
I have bean blessed with a good supply of letters this week - for which I wish to thank the writers. I imagine that Ed has learned to appreciate letters by this time - I don't see how any one can be away from^home very long without learning it.
Today is Carrie's birthday - She is twenty years old, and feels as though she were taking a big jump in getting out of her teens. Ray and I made a little celebration for her by fixing supper for us three in their room last night. - We had poached eggs on toast, buttered
My dear Mother, —
I have bean blessed with a good supply of letters this week - for which I wish to thank the writers. I imagine that Ed has learned to appreciate letters by this time - I don't see how any one can be away from^home very long without learning it.
Today is Carrie's birthday - She is twenty years old, and feels as though she were taking a big jump in getting out of her teens. Ray and I made a little celebration for her by fixing supper for us three in their room last night. - We had poached eggs on toast, buttered
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058002
toast besides, strawberry preserves, which Ray's cousin in Brooklyn gave her when she went down there two weeks ago, - and some little puffs filled with whipped cream, which cost the sum of one cent apiece. Don't you think that was an elaborate birthday spread? Carrie appreciated very much the little trouble we took for her, for she said this is the first time in a number of years that she has had her birthday celebrated, or has had birthday presents. You know she was not yet rooming with us when her birthday came last year. Ray gave her a little spoon, which is very pretty. Gertrude Smith gave her a cup and saucer, and Winifred Kirkland gave her a little dish for odds and ends, aad I gave her a pair of bed-slippers - which I
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058003
had great difficulty to get done, on account of the lack of extra time. Carrie has been wanting a pair very much, so of course I was glad to make them for her - as she has been busy making a pair for her sister. We had a very hard time to keep things secret from Carrie; she is worse than a dozen little boys about asking questions at Christmas-time.
The most fun we have had this week was last night, when some girls in our class carried out an idea of their own- You see the Sophomore Party for the Freshmen was arranged for last night, and so all the members of those classes were to be over in the gym, but there was nothing to which the Seniors and Juniors had to go.
Now a few girls in our
The most fun we have had this week was last night, when some girls in our class carried out an idea of their own- You see the Sophomore Party for the Freshmen was arranged for last night, and so all the members of those classes were to be over in the gym, but there was nothing to which the Seniors and Juniors had to go.
Now a few girls in our
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058004
class carried out an idea of their own- You see the Sophomore Party for the Freshmen was arranged for last night, and so all the members of those classes were to be over in the gym, but there was nothing to which the Seniors and Juniors had to go.
Now a few girls in our class were considering on Thursday evening about how they would spend Saturday evening, when one of them suggested that they have a take-off of the Marlborough-Vanderbilt wedding! This was readily agreed to, and so they looked up the accounts of it which have filled the papers lately, and tried to arrange everything as nearly like the way it really was as circumstances would allow- Of course the preparations were very hasty - [crossed out: noth] there was no time to spend till Saturday- Any Juniors or Seniors who wanted to come were invited, but the whole thing was so ex-tempore that ever so many did not hear about it-
Well, I went a little before half past eight, down to the
Now a few girls in our class were considering on Thursday evening about how they would spend Saturday evening, when one of them suggested that they have a take-off of the Marlborough-Vanderbilt wedding! This was readily agreed to, and so they looked up the accounts of it which have filled the papers lately, and tried to arrange everything as nearly like the way it really was as circumstances would allow- Of course the preparations were very hasty - [crossed out: noth] there was no time to spend till Saturday- Any Juniors or Seniors who wanted to come were invited, but the whole thing was so ex-tempore that ever so many did not hear about it-
Well, I went a little before half past eight, down to the
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058005
dining-room in this building- which the girls very fortunately were allowed to use- The tables were pushed over to one side and screens placed in front of them, while the chairs were arranged as in a church, with a center aisle- Seven handsome ushers "with immaculate shirtfronts" and stiff collars ^ white gloves & buttonhole bouquet, met the guests at the door, and offered them their arms and conducted them to seats in swell fashion- Most of the seniors had been bright enough to dress up as swell English or New York personages - and carried off their parts well— the costumes of course being extremely impromptu aad laughable. ^Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt [crossed out: The Duchess of Marlborough] was represented by the largest girl
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in our class, and was accompanied by her young son, who behaved in a conscious and top-loftical manner.
As guests of honor there appeared the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria! Queen Victoria was decidedly successful - a senior who looks a good deal like the Queen when she pulls down the corners of her mouth, and who has somewhat the same height and figure. She had thought of taking that character only half an hour before It was time to go- But she scraped up some clothes that would do, made a crown which was quite imposing, from the blotter on her desk, and for a train took a portiere, which trailed way behind and was held up by Lord Dunraven. A lorgnette added much to her dignity and to the effectiveness of her stare- As the royal
As guests of honor there appeared the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria! Queen Victoria was decidedly successful - a senior who looks a good deal like the Queen when she pulls down the corners of her mouth, and who has somewhat the same height and figure. She had thought of taking that character only half an hour before It was time to go- But she scraped up some clothes that would do, made a crown which was quite imposing, from the blotter on her desk, and for a train took a portiere, which trailed way behind and was held up by Lord Dunraven. A lorgnette added much to her dignity and to the effectiveness of her stare- As the royal
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party swept up the aisle, the audience rose and said "Long live the Queen," "God save the Queen!'"
Soon after this strains of Lohengrins Wedding March floated through the air, and pretty soon we saw a lot of choir-boys march in two by two, singing some ridiculous words to the tune of Lohengrin - Ray was one of the choir-boys - they wore white skirts around their necks for surplices - Then while the singing kept on, the bridal party entered - the bridesmaids with blue trimmings - their hats large straw ones which the '96 girls had bought for their Hallowe'en party in their Freshmen year and which they have lent for various and sundry purposes ever since- The bride was really very pretty - covered by a veil of that dotted lacy material —
Soon after this strains of Lohengrins Wedding March floated through the air, and pretty soon we saw a lot of choir-boys march in two by two, singing some ridiculous words to the tune of Lohengrin - Ray was one of the choir-boys - they wore white skirts around their necks for surplices - Then while the singing kept on, the bridal party entered - the bridesmaids with blue trimmings - their hats large straw ones which the '96 girls had bought for their Hallowe'en party in their Freshmen year and which they have lent for various and sundry purposes ever since- The bride was really very pretty - covered by a veil of that dotted lacy material —
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058008
I don't know its name — which ordinarily serves as Helen Peters' bed-canopy! The groom, you know, wore a blue and white checked shirt (shirt waist in this case) and a grey and white checked coat (of Grace Landfield's.). There were eight officiating clergymen, with surplices made of black petticoats etc., and a bishop, who had the purple bands in addition. The bishop performed the ceremony - using a service written by two of the girls, beginning "We are here assembled to join this title and this filthy lucre in the bonds of matrimony etc. The phrases were well adapted to the circumstances - for instance, there was a noticeable omission after the words "for richer", and instead of "until death do us part" were inserted the words "as long as we can"-
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When the time for the response came the groom drawled out "I fahncy yes", while the bride replied "I don't know but I will, don't ye know."
As the procession marched out the choir boys struck up a different tune, with words, written by one of the girls, making fun of marrying for wealth and trying to appear swell, and so on.
Almost as much as the ceremony itself I enjoyed watching Mr. John Fox, the Southern writer, who had lectured to the college on the previous evening- He had come with Prof. Wentworth (only two teachers were there because the rest were at the Sophomore Party) and he did not know what to make of it- He appeared very much embarrassed at first and continued to appear very much surprised. He was heard
As the procession marched out the choir boys struck up a different tune, with words, written by one of the girls, making fun of marrying for wealth and trying to appear swell, and so on.
Almost as much as the ceremony itself I enjoyed watching Mr. John Fox, the Southern writer, who had lectured to the college on the previous evening- He had come with Prof. Wentworth (only two teachers were there because the rest were at the Sophomore Party) and he did not know what to make of it- He appeared very much embarrassed at first and continued to appear very much surprised. He was heard
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afterwards to say that he was very much astonished, because he had had the idea that Vassar girls were very aristocratic and would not think of such a thing as ridiculing the swell aristocracy. That myth about Vassar girls being aristocratic and proud seems to be spread abroad through the country, for I have heard ever so many girls say that their friends had that idea. I am sure nothing is further from the truth.
Yesterday afternoon we had a treat in the way of a violin and piano recital, given by Mr. Marsick and Mr. Brockway — both very celebrated, they say — Mr. Marsick certainly looks celebrated: he has almost as much hair as Padarewski- Mr. Brockway looks like as American and appears to be very young- He played two
Yesterday afternoon we had a treat in the way of a violin and piano recital, given by Mr. Marsick and Mr. Brockway — both very celebrated, they say — Mr. Marsick certainly looks celebrated: he has almost as much hair as Padarewski- Mr. Brockway looks like as American and appears to be very young- He played two
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058011
of his own compositions on the piano-
Monday afternoon Mr. Joseph Jefferson, the great actor, spoke, at the invitation of the Philalethean Society- He is an old man - more than eighty, they say- His voice sounded as though he had no teeth- like Mr. James Huntington's, but as a matter of fact he has a good- looking set of false teeth- He was a very interesting speaker - most of what he said being in the line of reminiscence. He played Rip Van Winkle in Poughkeepsie in the evening, and of course a great many of the girls went - as it is not more than once or twice a year that they get a good actor in this town. We felt quite deserted during the evening - it was so quiet here.
Did I tell you about Mrs. Chant, of London, who spoke to
Monday afternoon Mr. Joseph Jefferson, the great actor, spoke, at the invitation of the Philalethean Society- He is an old man - more than eighty, they say- His voice sounded as though he had no teeth- like Mr. James Huntington's, but as a matter of fact he has a good- looking set of false teeth- He was a very interesting speaker - most of what he said being in the line of reminiscence. He played Rip Van Winkle in Poughkeepsie in the evening, and of course a great many of the girls went - as it is not more than once or twice a year that they get a good actor in this town. We felt quite deserted during the evening - it was so quiet here.
Did I tell you about Mrs. Chant, of London, who spoke to
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us last Sunday evening about philanthropic work in London? She was one of the most charming English speakers I have heard-
This morning Dr. Gordon of the Old South Church in Boston preached for us. He was very fine- He preached again this afternoon, at five o'clock, at his own request, I suppose, for I never knew of any one doing it here before- I think we have better preaching this year than we did last year.
Our work in Biology Laboratory has been so interesting this week- Can you guess what we have been doing? Dissecting angle-worms! A few of the girls hesitated a little about It, but most of us took them right up In our fingers the first thing- They had been preserved in alcohol. We could see, when we had cut the worm open, the pharynx, aesophagus, crop, gizzard and everything so nicely- I never dreamed there was all that inside of a worm. Miss O'Grady told me my dissection was a "beautiful" one!
This morning Dr. Gordon of the Old South Church in Boston preached for us. He was very fine- He preached again this afternoon, at five o'clock, at his own request, I suppose, for I never knew of any one doing it here before- I think we have better preaching this year than we did last year.
Our work in Biology Laboratory has been so interesting this week- Can you guess what we have been doing? Dissecting angle-worms! A few of the girls hesitated a little about It, but most of us took them right up In our fingers the first thing- They had been preserved in alcohol. We could see, when we had cut the worm open, the pharynx, aesophagus, crop, gizzard and everything so nicely- I never dreamed there was all that inside of a worm. Miss O'Grady told me my dissection was a "beautiful" one!
: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897058013
Lots of love to all the family- Adelaide. [Claflin]
I know how Edie enjoyed hearing Miss Strong lecture, for she lectured or rather, spoke informally, to our Hellenic society last year, and I was very much pleased with her-
I know how Edie enjoyed hearing Miss Strong lecture, for she lectured or rather, spoke informally, to our Hellenic society last year, and I was very much pleased with her-
